Though inspired by three films, Bachna Ae Haseeno is kept fresh by great performances
Director Siddharth Anand did a good job with Salaam Namaste but faltered with Ta Ra Rum Pum.
The good news is that he is back in the groove with Bachna Ae Haseeno.
OK, the film may be inspired by Dev Anand’s classic Teen Deviyan, Bollywood blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenege (DDLJ) and Hollywood flick The Devil Wears Prada but the outcome is fairly engrossing and works because of Ranbir Kapoor’s endearing performance and the help he gets from three gorgeous women in the film.
Bachna Ae Haseeno is the journey of lovable flirt Raj (Kapoor), who falls in love with Mahi (Minissha Lamba) as a teenager and has a live-in relationship with an aspiring actress, Radhika (Bispasha Basu), during his mid-twenties.
After dumping both girls, he finds true love in Gayatri (Deepika Padukone), a cabbie in Australia, only to find himself dumped by her.
From here the film follows a tale of redemption and union of true love.
The DDLJ influence is evident in Raj-Mahi’s track, mainly because the screenplay is by Aditya Chopra, who directed DDLJ. He was literally paying homage to his cult classic.
Though shot in Switzerland, this track works in the second half when Mahi is shown married.
The Raj-Radhika track is very believable in the first half but using a storyline a la The Devil Wears Prada does not gel well. The Raj-Gayatri link is the weakest as it lacks enough layers .
Kapoor takes the cake
The editing is a bit loose, with a way too long first half and a hurried end. Nevertheless, Anand has done a decent job of weaving these stories together.
Kapoor is simply superb in his second film. Basu is best of all the girls in the film and comes up with a surprisingly effective performance.
Watch out for the way she plays a heartless diva or the scene in which she breaks down in the rain. Lamba is passable as a teenager but she sinks her teeth very well into the meatier part as the married woman.
Padukone looks good but her role isn’t strong enough to leave a mark.
Hiten Paintal’s performance and his camaraderie with Kapoor draws sufficient laughter. Kunal Kapoor is the film’s surprise packet.
The production value is top-notch, with great cinematography and choreography adding to the visual appeal. Vishal-Shekhar’s vibrant music is another plus point.
Bachna Ae Haseeno marks Yashraj Films’ return to solid, entertaining cinema after a long time. If the film succeeds, then it needs to give major credit to the film’s leading man who gives it a fresh look and the much-needed youthful appeal.
— Abdulla Mahmood is a UAE-based freelance writer
